Stars colliding/meeting up with each other

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SUMMARY

The likelihood of stars colliding or becoming gravitationally bound while orbiting the center of a galaxy is extremely low due to the vast distances between them. Even during the anticipated collision of the Milky Way with the Andromeda galaxy, such events will remain rare. Collisions typically occur between stars that have been in close proximity for extended periods, often resulting from degrading orbits or mass loss during stellar evolution. Gamma-ray bursts are associated with the merger of neutron stars or interactions with black holes, indicating that while rare on human timescales, such events are more common over the lifespan of stars.

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  • Understanding of stellar dynamics and gravitational interactions
  • Familiarity with the concept of orbital mechanics
  • Knowledge of stellar evolution and mass loss processes
  • Basic comprehension of gamma-ray bursts and their origins
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  • Research the mechanics of stellar collisions and their frequency in galactic environments
  • Study the processes leading to neutron star mergers and their astrophysical implications
  • Explore the effects of mass loss in stars and its impact on orbital stability
  • Investigate the role of gravitational waves in detecting stellar mergers
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Astronomers, astrophysics students, and anyone interested in the dynamics of star interactions and the evolution of galaxies.

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How likely is it that when stars are orbiting the centre of a galaxy that two stars will meet and be locked together and orbit each other or collide?
 
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EXTREMELY unlikely

In a few billion years time, when our Milky Way galaxy collides with the Andromeda galaxy, collisions will still be very VERY rare.
The spaces between stars are IMMENSE, so the chances of any two random stars colliding with each other are negligible.

Stars DO collide though - bt almost always they are stars that have been orbiting each other for a LONG time, with a degrading orbit - or maybe one of them has shed some matter in it's death-throes, affecting the orbit enough to cause it to degrade.

Some Gamma ray bursts are thought to be caused by either two neutron stars coming together, or possibly a neutron star and a black hole
 
Seems to me that it would be quite common, depending on the time frame you're thinking of. Sure there's a lot of space there, but there are a lot of stars as well, and they all have plenty of gravity to pull them towards each other.
If you're thinking of the time frame of a human life, then they are very rare, but thinking by the time frame of a stellar life, they are common.
 

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